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Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan confirmed that the Redskins have filled the vacant spot on the active roster with former Arizona Cardinals cornerback Crezdon Butler, who was waived by the team in yesterday's cuts.

"We just think he's a football player, and we liked him in Pittsburgh," Shanahan explained.  "[We like his] speed and the way he plays the game.

Butler sat out most of last season after suffering an ankle injury in Week 1 vs. Carolina.  He made the team trip to Washington, but did not dress, and was placed on injured reserve the following week.

"He had an injury and we think he's recovered from it," Shanahan said.  "If he has, I think we've got a good football player."

Butler (6-0, 191) brings good size to the position, and an extra body after the team elected to carry four on the final roster.  With 24 official roster moves yesterday afternoon, the team had an open spot available for Butler.

"A lot of times we'll go to a 52 because we know we're going to get somebody, and we don't want to show our hand until the last second," Shanahan explained this afternoon.  "If you go and you get a guy that you want and you let a guy go late, you show people what you think of that guy."

Butler played in the Cardinals' final three exhibition games this preseason, logging two tackles, a pass defensed, and an interception returned 20 yards against the Denver Broncos on Thursday night.

Butler was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round (No. 164) of the 2010 NFL Draft. 

Butler appeared in four regular season games on special teams as a rookie, finishing the season with three special teams tackles. 

He was inactive for the final eight games of the season and each of the team's three postseason games, including Super Bowl XLV.

Butler was a three-year starter at Clemson, where he was a college teammates to Redskins defensive end Jarvis Jenkins. 

Butler was part of a defense that ranked 15th in the nation in pass defense, and finished his career with 40-consecutive starts, the second-longest streak in Clemson history for a corner.

Butler was born in Asheville, N.C., where he played cornerback and running back for Asheville High School.  He is the all-time leading rusher in that school's history, logging 5,030 yards and 60 rushing touchdowns.

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